Vacuum-tank



L. A. WILLIAMS.

VACUUM TANK. APPLICATION FILED JUNI-:14, I9I8,

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

IIIIN s MII UNITED STATES LYNN L'WILLIAMS, or EvANs'roN, ILLINOIS.

VACUUM-TANK. n

Specification of Letters Patent.

i Application sied June i4, 191s. seriai No. 239,946.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LYNN A. VVILLiAiiIs,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at yio Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have 'invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vacuum-Tanks, of

which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements inr vacuum tanks, and is especially concerned with improvements on the type of tank disclosed in the application of Clifford .(1.l Bradbury, Serial No. 229,347, filed Aprilv 1 sure in the suction receptacle; and

'2nd, To provide a vacuum tank of the type described -with a valve mechanism for controlling communication between the receptacles which will operate with a minimum reduction of pressure inthe suction receptacle, but which at the Sametime will open sufficiently, to provide sufficient portage to permit comparatively large particles of dirt or other solid materials to be dis-` charged froni the suction receptacle into the storage receptacle. d

Other objects will appear as the description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a tank embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken on a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the same plane as Fig. 2 and showing certain details of the structure of my improved valve mechanism; and

Fig. 4 `is a transverse section taken upon line 4 4: of Fig. 1.

In the several views similar characters of reference refer to similar parts, and Fig'. 4

communication therewithl is taken looking in the direction of the small arrows.

In 4tanks of the type to which my invention relates it is desirable that the valve controlling communication between the suction chamber and the storage receptacle should respond to the slightest reduction in pressure in the suction receptacle in order .that there will be no delay in the operation of the device t0 replenish the fuel withdrawn from the storage receptacle and in order that the device will operate when the engine is running at low speeds. It is also desirable that the valve mechanismv for controlling communication between the two receptacles should be of such a character as to provide sufficient clearance or portage to allow comparatively large pieces of dirt or other solid material which may be drawn into the suction receptacle from the main storage reservoir to pass into the storage receptacle and not interfere with the operation ofthe valve controllingv communication between the two receptacles. n In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention in connection with the tank structure disclosed in the application of Clifford C. Bradbury, referred to above, and will, therefore, only describe iii abrief manner those features of the tank which form no part of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 10 indicates the suction receptacle and the reference character 11 indicates the storage receptacle. vThe adjacent open ends of these receptacles are flanged outwardly, as indicated at 12 and 13, respectively, and secured together by means of bolts 14, a partition member' 15 being interposed between the fianges of the two receptacles to close the flanged ends thereof. The upper or closed end of the suction receptacle is provided with a central aperture`which receives a valve body 16, the inner end of which is screwthreaded and supports a plate- .l 17 in `such a position that its outer periphery Patented Allg. 17, 1920.

Ithrough the closed end of the receptacle l() and discharges through an opening in the plate 17 intol the suction receptacle, a deflector plate 23 being employed to cause the fuel to be discharged against the adjacent wall 'of the suction receptacle so as to prevent it from discharging upon the iioat 24, which, as will be described later, controls certain valve mechanism. As will be 'understood 4'by those skilled in this art the member 22 is connected by means of a pipe or other conduit with the 'main fuel reservoir which lies below the level of the carbureter and the vacuum tank, the main fuel reservoir being open to the` atmosphere so that the fuel therein 4is subject to atmospheric pressure.

The valve body 16 is provided with a valve chamber 25 with which the ducts 26, ,27, and 23 communicate. valve 29 controls the passage of air through the ducts 26, and 27. The duct 26 opens to atmosphere andthe duct 27 is connected by means of the union 30 with any suitable source of suction. When the valve is in the position-shown in Fig. l the suction chamber is in communication with the source of'suction and the pressure in the suction chamber is reduced, but when the valve moves downwardly so as to close the duct 27 and open the duct 26 the suction chamber is open to atmosphere.

The means for controlling the valve 29 comprises a valve stem V31 which extends downwardly through thevalve body and into the suction chamber, the lower end of the valve stem being reduced in cross section as shown at 32 to provide a shoulder 33 with which one end of the valve lever 34 co-acts to raise the valve to the position shown in Fig. l. The opposite end of the valve lever 34 is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 35, intermediate the ends of the ioat lever 36. The, upper end of the'iioat lever 36 is pivotally supported on a pivot rod 37 which in turn is supported by a bracket 38VV secured to the plate 17.

As described in the application of Clifford C. Bradbury, above referred to, the valve lever 34, the float lever 36, and the bracket 38 are all bifurcated at their adjacent ends so that the tension spring 39 may operate freely, between the bifurcations of these levers. One end of the spring 39 is secured adjacent the free end of vthe valve lever 34 and the other end thereof is secured to the pivot rod 37. The pivot points of the valve lever 34 and the float lever 36 are so arranged relative to each other and to -the aXis of the spring `39 that when the aXls of the spring 39 lies above the pivot point 35 the valve 29 will be held inv A.v double faced v `ofthis spring will cause the free end ofthe valve lever 34 to snap downwardly and thereby permit the valve 29 to drop.

The partition member 15 is provided with 'ay central orifice which receives the upper in an annular groove-4l which receives the spurs 42 of the `upwardly extending arms 43 ofa clip member. Secured to the lower side of the clip member by means presently to be described is a priming cup 44. r disk valve 45 conned between the arms 43 of the clip member provides means for closing the lower end of the pipe 40. The structure thus far described is similar to that disclosed and claimed in the application of Clifford C. Bradbury referred to above. lin that application, however, the disk valve for closing the lower end of the pipe corresponding toy the pipe 40 of this application merelyslidesup and down between the arms 43'. With such an arrangement when the valve corresponding to the valve 45 is in `its lowermost position it requires an undesirable reduction in pressure in the suction tank l0 to close the disk valve.

yin order to overcome this objection i provide the lower side of the disk valve 45 with a central ring shaped projection 46 which receives the upper. rounded end of a pin 47. The pin 47 is provided with an annular shoulder 48 and its lower end is swaged over to form a head 49 for securing the priming cup 44 to the clip member. The depression formed in the lower side of the disk 45 is sufficiently wide to permit the disk to pivot or tilt about the end of the pin 47 so that at one point, as illustrated at 50, the upper side of the disk valve will contact with the lower edge .of thepipe 40. VWith such a construction the valve structure will have as great a portage for fuel as a valve structure in which all points of the lower end of the pipe 40 are equally spaced from the adjacent surface of the disk, but the opening at the point 51 will permit the discharge of particles of dirt or other material substantially twice as large as would be permitted by a valve structure having the same portage but in which all points on the lower edge of the pipe 40 are equally spaced from adjacent points on the surface of the disk valve.

There is another advantage to be gained by this -structpre and that is that the disk valve In? tilt about the pin 47 and thus bring di erent points on the surface of the valve in contact with different points on the adjacent lower edge of the pipe 40, thereby 'permitting small particles of dirt to bel washed from the upper surface of the disk.- by the flow of fuel thereover so as ica gained by this structure is due to the fact Y that in case the level of the fuel in the storage receptacle 11 should fall below the level of the priming cup 44 and due to the tilting of the motor vehicle upon which the tank is installed the fuel should be displaced from the priming cup 44, neverthe-` y from thepoint 50. These films will have a considerable surface tension which will tend to pull the disk 45 upwardly against the lower end of the pipe 40 and will therebyv assist any suction produced inthe chamber l0 to close the valve 45. On account of this construction it will not require as greatv a reduction of pressure in the suction chamber 10 to close the valve 45 as it would if the lower edge of the pipe 40 was equally spaced at all points from chargin the adjacent surface of the valve 45.

It is believed that the operation of my improved structure will be clear to those skilled in thisk art from the above descrip; tion, and further details thereof are believed to be unnecessary. Itis to be understood, however, that although I have described my invention in connection with the vacuum tank disclosed in'the application of Clifford C. Bradbury, above referred to,A

that it is capable of being used with vacuum tanks of different types, and, furthermore, that it is not limited to use in a vacuum tank employing the priming cup 44 described above. f y

While I have described the details'of the preferred embodiment of my invention itis- .capable of other adaptations and modifications within the scope of the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention what I claim as newY and desire to secure by Letters Patent of;the United States is:

l. A vacuum tank comprising a storage receptacle, asuctionreceptacle located above said storage receptacle, a pipe-for affording communication between said receptacles received in said ring shaped projection topivotally support said disk valve adjacent the lower end of said pipe.

2. A vacuum tank comprising-a storage receptacle, avsuction receptacle located above said storage receptacle, a pipe for affording communication between said receptacles extending downwardly in said storage receptacle and having its lower end in a substantially horizontal plane, a disk valve for closing the lower end of said pipe having a central ring shaped projection on the lowr side, and a pin received in said ring shaped projection to pivotally support said disk valve adjacent the lower end of said pipe.

3. A vacuum tank comprising a storage receptacle, a suction receptacle, a pipe for affording communication between said receptacles extending downwardly and discharging into said storage receptacle and having its discharge end in' a substantially horizontal plane, a valve for closing the f'discharge end of said pi e, and fixed means for supporting said va ve sothat it may contact with any, but only one, point on the periphery of the lower end of said pipe. 4. A vacuum tank comprising a storage receptacle, a suction receptacle, a pipe for affording communication between said receptacles extending downwardly and disinto said storage receptacle and having its discharge end in a substantially horizontal plane, an imperforate valve for closing 'the discharge end of said pipe, and

-means for supporting said valve so that it receptacle, a suction receptacle, a pipe for affording communication between said receptacles extending downwardly and discharging into said storage receptacle and having its discharge end in a substantially horizontal plane, a valve for closing. the discharge end of said pipe, and fixed means for supporting said valve so that it may contact with any single point on the periphery of the 'lower end of said pipe.

6. A vacuum tank comprising a storage receptacle, a suction receptacle above said storage receptacle, a member provided with an aperture for affording communication bey tween said tanks, the edges of said apertureV lying in a substantially horizontal plane, a valve for closing said aperture, and fixed means for tiltably supporting said valve adjacent said aperture so as to tilt in different directions.

7. A vacuum tank comprising a storage receptacle, a suction receptacle, a member provided with an aperture for affording communication between said tanks, a valve for closing said aperture, and fixed means for tiltably supporting said valve adjacent said aperture so as to tilt in different directions. j

A vacuumy tank comprising 9. pair of receptacles, an apertured member for affording communication between saidfreceptacles, a valve for closing said aperture, and fixed means for supporting said valve so as to suc- .and means :tor closing theaperture in said member comprising an imperforate valve and means :tor pivotally supporting said valve so as to contact with the edge `of said aperture at but a single point.

1 0. A vacuum tank comprising a pair of receptacles, means for affording communication between-said receptacles so as to permit the contents of one receptacle to discharge into the other'receptacle, andmeans for causing the discharge in said last named receptacle to take place in different directions.

ll. A vacuum tank, comprising a storage receptacle and a lsuction receptacle, a pas sage affording communication between said receptacles anda universally tiltable valve for controlling said passageway.

12. A vacuum tank comprising a storage receptacle, a suction receptacle suplported above said storage receptacle, a pipe for 'affording communication .between said re- Laaaees ceptacles extending downwardly in' said storage receptacle andhaving .its discharge end in a substantially horizontal plane, and a universally ti-ltable valveadj acent said pipe for closing the lower end thereof.

13. A vacuum tank, comprising a storage receptacle, a suction receptacle, a pipe for aording communication between said receptacles ertendin downwardly in said storage receptacle an having its discharge end in a substantially horizontal plane, a disk and'means for of said valve.

14. A vacuum tank comprising astorage receptacle and a suction receptacle, a pipe permittine universal tilting affording communication between said receptacles anda valve forl closing said pipe,

said valve not being engaged by any sup- MARY A. Coon, EARLl F. PIERCE.

` valve for closing 'the lower end of said pipe 

